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About this blog: In January 2002 I started writing my own online "newspaper" titled "The San Ramon Observer." I reported on City Council meetings and other happenings in San Ramon. I tried to be objective in my coverage of meetings and events, and... (More)

About this blog: In January 2002 I started writing my own online "newspaper" titled "The San Ramon Observer." I reported on City Council meetings and other happenings in San Ramon. I tried to be objective in my coverage of meetings and events, and saved my barbs for my Commentary page. I had some political differences with the City Council at that time and particularly with the majority dubbed "The Gang of Three," by the San Ramon Valley Times. In 2003 new Council members were elected and the Council was more balanced and fiscally conservative, but I continued to write the Observer until 2009. At that point I decided I wanted to concentrate on my commentaries. So I requested a meeting with the editor and publisher of the Danville Weekly about taking over the San Ramon Observer. My timing was very apropos since the parent company, Embarcadero Media, was planning to release an online San Ramon Express that April. I was offered a "blog" under the name "San Ramon Observer" for my commentaries. I like to inform residents about what is happening in San Ramon, especially on city government and local politics. When I don't have anything to write about on those topics, I just write about anything I am doing or thinking about. (Hide)

The San Ramon Observer is back!

Uploaded: Nov 2, 2010

Seth Adams was right, not about No on Measure W but about me not being an investigative reporter. I'm not a reporter and I didn't want to be one, but that's what the Express was paying me to do. I wanted to be paid for my opinion columns as "The San Ramon Observer." So last week I spoke to Gina Allen, publisher of the Express, and we came to a new agreement.

"Roz and I talked late last week about her duties for San Ramon Express. We agreed that covering the city council should be done by someone else beginning immediately, but that she would continue to do the Observer blog at least once, but no more than twice, a week. We also agreed that she would no longer contribute to Patch."

Some of you might have seen my Op Ed on Measure W in the Patch. This upset my Editor because, "The Patch is our competition." So you will not see me posting in the Patch or the Contra Costa Times in the future. It will be frustrating for me because there are already some comments I'd like to answer, but I'll let others do that. I will keep all of my opinions here, and you will be seeing more of them.

I know some of my long-time fans (yes I have them), were not happy with my reduced presence in the Express. So I hope this new arrangement will give me the outlet I need for my concerns and comments about San Ramon and give the Express a better focus on what issues are of interest and importance (at least based on my knowledge and experience) to residents of San Ramon.

Gina agreed to promote the Observer blog more heavily, because I consider it an asset to the Express. I consider it my job now to turn Patch readers into Express readers.

Stay tuned for more controversy to come. I'm not an investigative news reporter, but I consider myself an investigative opinion columnist. I will provide what I hope is valid and true information to contradict distortions and misinformation where ever it happens, whether it is coming from Save Mount Diablo or the City Council. I want to be a source readers in San Ramon can trust to tell the truth.

If anyone finds factual errors in one of my commentaries, please correct them. I am not perfect and I'm always looking to improve. When I wrote the San Ramon Observer website for eight years, I'd receive corrections from Paul Mitchell, Victor Peterson, and Scott Perkins, and I'd update any story that was wrong.

I try hard to be balanced and fair. I posted guest commentaries and opposing opinions on my Observer's Commentary page too.

The Express gives you the ability to post your opposing opinions to anything I write here, and I may change my mind about it. I have changed from one side of a political issue to the other based on new or additional information, but I'm not a pushover either. So you have to be pretty convincing to get me to change my opinions. Let the convincing begin!

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